Opaque illumination and scanning system

ABSTRACT

An optical system is used to scan an opaque original in a lineby-line manner. The original is carried on the top deck of a carriage that travels past a stationary optical assembly. The carriage also has a bottom deck substantially parallel to and spaced from the top deck. The optical assembly fits between the two decks as the carriage travels thereby. Lamps within the optical assembly illuminate a generally linear area of the original and a light image of the original is projected through the optical assembly to the bottom deck of the carriage by a lens and three mirrors. One mirror is positioned at the nodal point of the lens to pass rays through the same lens twice. The light image projected to the bottom deck is used to expose a photoelectrophoretic ink for the formation of an image from the ink.

Egnaczak et al.

Feb. 8, 1972 OPAQUE ILLUMINATION AND SCANNING SYSTEM Raymond K.Egnaczak, Williamson; Gino F. Squassoni, Pittsford, both of NY.

Assignee: Xerox Corporation, Rochester, N.Y.

Filed: Nov. 14, 1969 Appl. No.: 876,713

Inventors:

U.S. Cl ..355/8, 355/51, 355/66,

355/70 Int. Cl. ..G03g 15/00 Field oiSearch ..355/3, 8,51,66,70

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Oikawa et a1. ..355/8 9/1970Hodges ..355/8 X Primary Examiner-Samuel S. Matthews AssistantExaminer-Richard A. Wintercom Attorney-James J. Ralabate, David C. Petreand Michael H. Shanahan [57] ABSTRACT An optical system is used to scanan opaque original in a lineby-line manner. The original is carried onthe top deck of a carriage that travels past a stationary opticalassembly. The carriage also has a bottom deck substantially parallel toand spaced from the top deck. The optical assembly fits between the twodecks as the carriage travels thereby. Lamps within the optical assemblyilluminate a generally linear area of the original and a light image ofthe original is projected through the optical assembly to the bottomdeck of the carriage by a lens and three mirrors. One mirror ispositioned at the nodal point of the lens to pass rays through the samelens twice. The light image projected to the bottom deck is used toexpose a photoelectrophoretic ink for the formation of an image from theink.

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1. Scanning apparatus comprising a carriage supported for travel along agenerally linear path having a platen coupled thereto for carrying anopaque original and having a shuttle plate coupled thereto spaced fromand generally parallel to the platen, and illumination and projectionmeans positioned adjacent the path traveled by the carriage forilluminating an area of said platen as the carriage travels thereby andfor projecting a light image from the illuminated area to the shuttleplate.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 including at least two of saidilluminating and projection means all illuminating an area of the platenand projecting a light image therefrom to substantially the same area ofthe shuttle plate.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said illuminationand projection means project light images over substantially similaroptical path to effect registration on the shuttle plate of the lightimage projected thereto by each of said illumination and projectionmeans.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said illumination andprojection means includes means for projecting onto said shuttle plate awrong reading light image of an original on said platen.
 5. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said illumination and projection means ispositioned relative to the path traveled by the carriage to be locatedbetween said platen and shuttle plate as the carriage travels thereby.6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said illumination and projectionmeans includes means to fold the optical path therethrough to reduce thedistance between said platen and shuttle plate.
 7. The apparatus ofclaim 6 wherein said means to fold an optical path includes a mirrorpositioned at the nodal point of a lens to reflect light imagestransmitted by the lens back through the lens.
 8. The apparatus of claim1 wherein said illumination and projection means includes a lamp of alength substantially the width of said platen having a reflector forreflecting light toward said platen with said reflector having meansthrough which a heat-exchanging fluid is directed onto said lamp. 9 Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said illumination and projection meansincludes a first mirror supported to reflect light images from theilluminated area of said platen, a lens supported to pass light imagesreflected by said first mirror, a nodal mirror positioned at the nodalpoint of said lens to reflect light images transmitted by the lens backthrough the lens, and a third lens positioned to reflect light imagesreflected back through said lens to said shuttle plate.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said platen includes optically transparentglass and said shuttle plate includes optically transparent glass coatedwith an optically transparent, electrically conductive material.
 11. Theapparatus of claim 1 wherein said shuttle plate is a transparentconductor and further including an imaging electrode positioned adjacentsaid path to contact the shuttle plate as the carriage travels therebyand having means for coupling to a voltage source to establish anelectric field between the shuttle plate and imaging electrode, andinking means for applying photoelectrophoretic ink between said shuttleplate and imaging electrode to form an image from the ink exposed to alight image projected to the shuttle plate by said illumination andprojection means and subjected to an electric field established betweenthe shuttle plate and imaging electrode.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1wherein said illumination and projection means is positiOned relative tosaid path to fit between the platen and shuttle plate as the carriagetravels thereby and said imaging electrode and inking means arepositioned relative to said illumination and scanning means to allow theshuttle plate to pass between them as the carriage travels thereby. 13.The apparatus of claim 12 further including a developing electrodepositioned adjacent said imaging electrode having means for coupling toa voltage source to subject an image formed on the shuttle electrode toan electric field as the carriage travels past the developing electrode,and second illumination and projection means for illuminating areas ofan original on the platen and for projecting in registration a lightimage onto the image formed on the shuttle electrode as the carriagetravels past the developing electrode.
 14. Scanning apparatus comprisinga carriage supported for travel along a generally linear path having aplaten for carrying an opaque original and a shuttle plate spaced fromand generally parallel to said platen, first illumination meanspositioned adjacent said path to fit between said platen and shuttleplate as the carriage travels thereby for illuminating an area of anoriginal on the platen, first projection means positioned adjacent saidpath to fit between the platen and shuttle plate as the carriage travelsthereby for projecting light images from areas illuminated by said firstillumination means to said shuttle plate, second illumination meanspositioned adjacent said path to fit between the platen and target plateas the carriage travels thereby for illuminating an area of an originalon the platen, and second projection means positioned adjacent said pathto fit between said platen and shuttle plate as the carriage travelsthereby for projecting light images from the areas illuminated by saidsecond illumination means to substantially the same locations on theshuttle plate to which the same images are projected by said firstprojection means.